Radio controlled toys have become popular as a means of increasing the realism and pleasure derived from powered models. These toys have generally been guided by the operator who manipulates the controls of a control console while observing the toy, thereby transmitting control signals to a receiver located in the toy which, in turn, operates servo motors connected to the operating parts of the toy. Since economy of construction, ease of manufacture and robustness are extremely important in the toy market, many methods have been sought to produce radio controlled models that offer the desired performance at a low cost to the purchaser. Often these toys have taken the form of models that are attached to the control console by an umbilical cable that operates the model through either electrical or mechanical signals, thereby avoiding the licensing requirements, expense and complexity of a radio transmitter and receiver. High performance models and those which cannot conveniently be operated by use of a umbilical, such as flying models and automotive models, have often been configured with transmitters and receivers using the 27 megahertz (MHz) and the 72 and 75 MHz citizen bands used for more elaborate model aircraft and other communication purposes. Therefore, there has been a wide range of models and control schemes developed for such toys and they have enjoyed substantial and increasing success in the marketplace.
There are many problems with radio controlled models constructed according to the prior art. For example, the scale speeds with which small models travel are often not realistic, since when the models are configured to move about the play area at visually interesting speeds, such speeds translate into very high scale speeds for the model. Thus, the model dynamics are not realistic in a scale sense and the control inputs produce exaggerated movements. Regardless of the accuracy of detail, performance or control, such models have never before created the illusion to the operator that he is a part of the machine and manipulating the controls.
Radio controlled TV guided aircraft and missiles have been produced for the military and NASA, but for purposes other than creating an illusion or entertainment for the operator. These systems have been characterized by very high costs of development and manufacture that have prevented any reasonable use of such systems in model aircraft, not to mention the intensely cost competitive toy market. Furthermore, since the purpose of such large scale vehicles has been for long range surveillance and accuracy in information gathering, the intentional distortion of the visual environment through the use of optics, which in toy scales "simulate" reality, have been neither necessary nor desirable.
Another problem with conventional remote control toys is the so called "control reversal problem". This problem is manifested when the action of the toy, from the point of view of the operator, is dependent upon the direction of travel of the toy relative to the operator. Since the operator can properly operate the controls of the toy only when it is in his field of view, and because this operation requires a mental transposition of the operator to the toy centerline looking forward, in order to determine the correct control inputs, it is a procedure which is particularly difficult for small children who are unable to understand or embrace the concepts involved, and therefore limits the potential market for such a toy.
Thus, there is a need in the toy and models field for a quantum leap in realism that will provide the operator of the toy with the impression that he is flying or driving the vehicle himself rather than being a detached operator of the powered toy he sees moving about before him and which will ease control interactions while still being inexpensive enough to be usable in a toy for mass merchandising.